This is not a travelogue, I live here, a small town, on a small island, in the middle of the Irish Sea. Welcome to The Isle of Man.

Friday, August 15, 2008

SKYWATCH FRIDAY - ILL MET BY SUNLIGHT IN RAMSEY

Yes that is sunlight. Nothing complicated at all about the shot. Have all your setting on for the sunniest day, fooling the camera, which will compensate by underplaying the light needed therefore you get this night time in wonderful Ramsey feel.

I did have another shot prepared but then why should a shot be prepared for skywatch? Isn't skywatch all about just taking the sky on the spur of the moment to share and say, hey, this is my beautiful, dreary, sunny, rainy blue, grey sky today. Just a thought! You know I think too much!

I took this literally along the road we live. Firstly I saw the oil droplets and the prism colours thrown out by the sunlight, next the adjacent cloud. Rain or wet surfaces can actually be a bonus for the photographer( by that I mean the person holding the camera, professional and non professional.) Anything photographed over by or near water automatically becomes reflective or textured. Note the wetter parts of the path and road have the most tonal value. Finally it was just noticing that chip in the kerb/sidewalk and how the puddle hadn't risen above it. The oddest part of all for me with the downpour we'd had.

Now I know a lot of people would have cloned the chipped kerb back in, cropped it slightly, and boosted the prism colours but to me there is no need. It's just the sunlight, cloud and skyin a puddle. Why make it complex, it's odd enough as it it and real. What's wrong with realism in a shot. It's a blog, not a tourist guide. Saying that if the I.O.M Tourist Board want some excellent pretty, pretty shots of Ramsey, you know where to come, but you still pay the going rate.

"We are all in the gutter, some of us are just looking at the stars" - Oscar Wilde

Some of us also have a double ear infection which is really annoying them this week, but I can most definitely see those stars! I have nothing to declare but my (photographic) genius!

Today if you leave a comment my challenge to you is not to use these words, the most over used words when describing a photograph. Go on you can do it, be brave.

I'm looking at your list as I type. I don't see surreal on it. Can I say it's surreal, ha. I like the effect a lot. Does look like a somewhat abstract painting to me. I hope the ear infections are short lived. BTW, I love the Oscar Wilde Quote.

I must try this trick. I love the results and I agree with your stylistic choices. Then again, I'm a sucker for realistic shots. I enjoy all the pomp and fluffy hyperreality that can be achieved by tweaking with Photoshop but I'm drawn to more natural images.

I must try this trick. I love the results and I agree with your stylistic choices. Then again, I'm a sucker for realistic shots. I enjoy all the pomp and fluffy hyperreality that can be achieved by tweaking with Photoshop but I'm drawn to more natural images.

Thanks again for sharing how to achieve the effect. I really like this one. I am still trying to get the sun ray effect. Don't seem to be able to get it like yours. Maybe you could give another lesson? In the meantime I'll try the sunny puddle.

Somehow, you always gets a purple color to your shots! I am amazed that, that is sunlight. How incredible... tricking your camera like that. Terrific shot! Like that you left the jagged curb in the shot. I didn't use any of the no-no words. I'm so brave.

Wow, 74 comments, I doubt I can add anything that hasn't already been said. However, I found your focal point interesting. The monochromatic color of similar tones sets this photo off like a B&W, yet there is color however minimalistic. and that catches the eyes.

Thanks folks for playing the game today. You've given me a lot of fun with your choices of words and as usual a lot to think about. As you know I take my photography seriously, but I like to keep the writing light. I would hate you to be bored when you stopped by. It seems I am still annoying some folks, but not island ones.Envy really is a very nasty thing in people. That's why I haven't been around much.

Until I enlarged the photo, I thought I saw moonlight peeking through a stormy night. After enlarging I found a marvelous shot, which made me want to sit down and write a thriller. Fantastic, as usual!

I try to limit my comment about the composition, but in general isn't that what photographer does?

You have to choose all these things and edit the visible world for others to see what you have seen. Maybe there is a story, maybe there is a catch, maybe it's just the visual and conseptual experience?

For example I somewhat tought I liked my first photo in my sky watch post this week, but I had my doupts about it. Then I got all these comments about forest fire, I somewhat felt disapointed about my ability to capture the moment and let others see it (it was about the strange storms we have had).

I don't think I would change anything, but perhaps there was a failure. It is so fine line between marvelling and flopping.

Then if we get back to you photos, these just are so great and fun to see, that it is somewhat hard to comment anything witty. I think most people don't know any proper terms, they just enjoy seeing this level of work!

Sorry for the somewhat long post, or if it is total nonsense, try bare with me. I just defend myself, it is the language difficulty:)

I'm not very smart, am I? I don't think I ever use those words to describe a photo! But I love this and the neat trick you pulled with it! It's very cool and the next rain we have, I'm gonna try it! Thanks for the picture making education!

Great image that conveys mystery...I always remind myself to take somthing like this a reflection on water...but just like fireworks, I dont have the chance....Glad that I can see it here though from your part of the world!